Viewpoint Banjska stena on Tara
Banjska stenaje is one of the most famous and beautiful viewpoints in Serbia. It is 6 kilometers from Mitrovec and 2 marked hiking trails (#9 and #9a) and a macadam road lead to it. The name of the viewpoint Banjska stena comes from the Banjska vrela, which erupted at its foot. The spring was of karst origin with a constant water temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. It got its name from the Turkish word banja, which means a place with hot water. The local population used the water from the spring even in winter, because it maintained the same temperature all year round. However, the Banjsko vrelo was submerged by the construction of Lake Perućac.
From the viewpoint, located at 1065 meters above sea level, there is an unforgettable view of the Perućac reservoir, the Drina river canyon and the Osat area in Bosnia. Osat is a regional unit in Bosnia, on the left side of the middle course of the Drina, known as a strong construction seat. Benjsko točilo, sipar, which in the 19th century was used to transport wood, stretches below the viewpoint. The cut logs were pushed down the mill to the rafters where they were used to make rafts that were lowered by experienced rafters down the Drina and Sava rivers to Belgrade. Today, the 1,300-meter-long spa tap is overgrown with vegetation, among which there is a large number of rare plant species characteristic of sipares.
Photo: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS